1. Technical Field
The subject technology relates systems and methods for identifying and correcting performance problems in multicast traffic flows. In particular, aspects of the technology provide solutions for moving (e.g., re-rooting) multicast trees to improve multicast performance.
2. Introduction
In some network configurations, several end user terminals, or hosts, may wish to receive the same data at the same time. This data can include anything from video or audio content, or software updates, to information about the network itself. While it would be possible to send this information simultaneously and individually to each host in the network, this would involve the transmission of replicated data throughout the network. Methods of multicasting data have therefore been developed in which data is transmitted through the network only to those destinations or hosts that have indicated a desire to receive the data, for example, by joining a corresponding multicast group. Generally, multicast data is replicated in the network only where the route to two destination hosts splits. Therefore, only one copy of the data is sent through the network until routes to the destination hosts diverge. Data is therefore sent through the network in a multicast tree, from which branches are formed as destination routes diverge.